Question

A study finds a correlation coefficient of r = .52 and reports p < .05. The p value indicates which of the following?

Select one:
a. The effect size is large.
b. The correlation is not statistically significant.
c. The correlation is unlikely to have come from a zero association population.
d. The correlation is negative.

Answer 1

The p-value < .05 in the study means that the correlation coefficient of r = .52 is statistically significant, implying a significant linear relationship between the two variables. It does not indicate the effect size or the direction of the correlation, which is positive according to the correlation coefficient provided.

Step-by-step explanation:

The p-value reported in the study is < 0.05, which indicates that the observed correlation coefficient of r = .52 is statistically significant. This means we reject the null hypothesis that there is no association (zero correlation) between the two variables under study. In other words, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that there is a significant linear relationship between the variables in the population from which the sample was drawn. The correlation coefficient itself indicates the direction and strength of the linear relationship, with a positive value of .52 suggesting a moderate positive association.

It is important to note that a p-value < .05 does not speak to the effect size, which is a separate measure of the magnitude of the relationship. It also does not confirm the correlation as positive or negative; that information is provided by the sign of the correlation coefficient itself, which in this case is positive.